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Why DICE chose World War I for the new Battlefield

Electronic Arts and DICE today unveiled Battlefield 1, a combat simulation set in the First World War, due to be released worldwide Oct. 21.

A trailer showed during a livestream depicted combat making use of ground, troops, airplanes, battleships, Zeppelins, horses and snipers. At a press event, an EA spokesperson stressed that the game
is about "variety, and not just shooting from a muddy trench."

"There's a common misconception that this was an era of muskets, but they were inventing weapons all the time," said lead game designer Danny Berlin. "There is a huge amount of variety of weapons
with a powerful and authentic feel. It's a fast and really cool experience, and any play-style you have, we'll cater for it."

"We wanted to create a physical space that is more personal and physical," said Berlin. He added that the company had chosen to call the game Battlefield 1 because "we are going back to the dawn of
all-out warfare. [World War I] is the genesis of modern warfare."

"Team play is the recipe for success," said Berlin. "Your team is a good asset for you. This is still a multiplayer sandbox so if you want to lone wolf it, that's fine, but synchronized team play
and squadding up wins the day."

Battlefield 1 will be available to play during EA's mid-June EA Play event, with an early access program planned for Windows PC and Xbox One.